Machine fob forming spherical bodies



May 19, 1925. Re. 16,077

H. M. JENKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIES Original Filed Nov.11, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOH 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 V 7 INV;:TOR v M 2 2MMM I mun mug H. M. JENKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIESOriginal Filed Nov. 11,

lHlHl IHIHIHHIII Hlllll May 19, 1925.

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May 19, 1925.

H. M. JENKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIES 4 Shets-Sheet 5Original Filed NOV. 11, 1922 mvzu'ron Thu/Md D Q WW -May 19, 1925.

H. M. JENKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Original Filed Nov.

INVEN'TQH Reissuecl May 19, 1925.

HOWARD M. .imzxms, or STEUIBENVILLE, orno.

' MACHINE FOR FORMING srnnmcan Booms;

Original No. 1,488,817,

To all whom'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, HowAnn. M. JnNKINs, a citizen of the UnitedStates,'and a resident of Steubenville, inthe county oflJefierson andState of Ohio, have made a new and useful Inventionin Machines for.Forming Spherical Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus or machines for molding or otherwise,forming spherical bodies, and an object of thisinvention is to producesuch a machine or-apparatus whichis of simple construction.

A further object is to produce such a machine or apparatus for moldingor rolling spherical bodies from plastic material.

' A still further object is to produce a machine or apparatus which maybe easily adjusted so as to mold or roll spherical bodies of differentdiameters from plastic material.-

These, as well as other objects which will readily appear to thoseskilled in this particular art, .I attain by means of the apparatusdescribed in the specification and illustrated in the'drawingsaccompanying and forming part of this application.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus ormachine en'ibodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a view in sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig.

1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a view in endelevation looking toward the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticview. illustrating the forming wheels in side elevation and this viewshows a spherical body in forming position between two co-operatingforming wheels; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view in top plan of two cooperating forming wheels, a portion of the wheel moving downwardly atforming position being cut away as shown by lines Y.'Y, Fig. 4.. LineZ-Z in Fig. 6 is one of the axis lines of the spherical body beingformed. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view in end elevation of two of theco-operating forming wheels.

, The apparatus in its elemental form consists of a pair of rotating,peripherally grooved. co-operating forming wheels of differentperipheral speed and having angularly disposed axes. The peripheralgroove in dated April 1', 1924, Serial 1%. eoo,a5-1 filed November 11,1922. Application for-reissue meg mm 24, 1925. Serial No. 4,613.

each wheel is formed on the arc of a circle and in .cross section isless than half a circle. The wheels are so mounted that their groovesco-operate 1n molding or otherwise forming the material or body operatedon.

The axes of the wheels are disposed at a slight angle'one to the otherso that the body being operated on is turned on constantly changing axesof rotation whereby it is molded (when plastic material is used) intotrue spherical form.

The periphery of one wheel" at the forming position moves upwardly whilethe periphery of the other moves downwardly. The peripheral speed of thewheel moving upwardly at the forming position is greater than thatof thewheel moving downwardly at that position and because of this, thebody'being formed is maintained in proper forming position and preventedfrom falling between the wheels.

A distributor is used for conveying or directing the body or material tobe formed to forming position between the co-operating wheels. In orderto discharge the finished article, one of the forming wheels is bodilymoved away from theother at a predetermined point in the cycle ofoperation, thereby allowing the finished article to drop through theforming wheels and be conveyed to a point outside of the machine.

The machine illustrated in the drawings, (which is chosen as thepreferred embodiment of thisv invention), is a multiple machine in whicheight sets of co-operating forming wheels are employed. The distributorfor conveying bodies of material to forming position is constructed andarranged so as to distribute to the different sets-of forming wheels ina certain predetermined order bell crank lever loosely mounted on shaft16.

Ann 15 of each bell crank lever (there the lever it' carries a gear 17which meshes with a gear 18 keyed to shaft 16.

As the bell crank lever swings about shaft gear 17 rolls on gear 18.Shaft 16 which forms the main drive shaft of the machine is driven froma motor 19 (preferably an electric motor) through drive chain 20,sprocket 21, pinion 22 mounted on the same shaft (23) as sprocket 21 andgear 24 keyed to the main drive shaft 16.

Shaft 11 to which all of the forming wheels 10 are keyed is driven fromthe main drive shaft 16 by means of a sprocket 25, drive chain 26,sprocket .27, gear 28, keyed to the same shaft as sprocket 27 and a gear29 keyed to shaft 11.

The main drive shaft at its opposite end from motor 19 carries a pinion30. This pinion is keyed to shaft 1.6 and is adapted to be replaced bypinions of different diameter when it is desired to change the timing ofthe distributor and the timing of the separation of the forming wheelsfor discharging the finished spheres. Pinion 30 meshes with a stubpinion 31 mounted on anarm 32 loosely carried on shaft 33 journaled insuitable bearings in the frame of the machine. Stub pinion 31 mesheswith a gear 34 keyed to shaft 33 and arm 32 which carries stub gear 31may be adjusted to different positions and locked therein by means ofbolt 35 which is secured to the frame of the machine and lies within aslot formed in the outer end of arm 32.

Shaft 33 is the cam shaft since it carries a series of cams 36 (one foreach bell crank lever) which are keyed to the shaft. Each of these cams"is in line with the lower arm 37 of one of the bell crank leverssupporting one of the forming wheels 13. The outer end of arm 37 of eachbell crank lever carries an anti-friction roller 38 which is caused tobear against the peripheral face of cam 36 by means of a spring 39positioned between a depending arm 40 of the lever and a part 41 of theframe of the machine.

The major part 42 of the peripheral face of each cam is circular andconcentric with shaft 33 and the cams are of such diameter that formingwheels 13 throughout the major portion of the travel of the cams areheld in forming position with relation to forming wheels 10. Each cam isprovided with an indentation 43 in its peripheral face so that when theroller 38 in line with the clamped to support plate 45 which extendslengthwise of the machine and projects upwardly from the base 50. v

The series of cams 36 are so arranged on shaft 33 that theirindentations 43 operate the bell crank levers in a predetermined orderof rotation causing the forming wheels 13 to move in the samepredetermined order to discharge the finished spherical bodies.

Since the machine is primarily designed to form or mold spherical bodiessuch as marbles from plastic glass (although not' limited to the use ofsuch material) I have provided the-machine with a distributor forleading or distributing individual gathers, gobs or drops of plasticglass to forming position between the wheels of the eight sets ofco-operating forming wheels.

The distributor is carried by a support member or platform 47 mounted onstandards 48-48 and 49 forming part of the framework of the machine.Standards 48 are supported on pedestals 12 which carry the bearings forshaft 11 while standard 49 is supported by base 50 within which motor 19is housed. Secured to and depending from support member 47 are eightdistributor tubes 51. The inlets 52 of said tubes are arranged'in acircle within an annular flange 53 projecting upwardly from thedistributor support member 47. The distributor tubes are bent at an easycurve so that each tube leads to the forming position between one pairof co-operating forming wheels.

In order that the drops, gobs or gathers of, glass may be deposited bythe gatherers' or feeders at one point for all of the cooperating pairsof wheels", a rotating distributing head 54 is employed. This head isformed in the nature of an inclined tube 55 mounted so as to rotateabout the axis of a vertical shaft 56, and is provided with an inletopening 57 and a discharge opening at its lower end adapted toalternately register with the inlet openings 52 of the distributor tubes51.

Vertical shaft 56 near its upper end is journaled within a bearingformed in downwardly projecting portion 58 of distributor support member47. The upper end of the shaft is secured within member 56" which servesas a standard for the distributor. At

its lower end 59 shaft 55 is journaled within. suitable bearings carriedby the top member 60 of base 50. Thisshaft 55 near its lower end carriesan eight tooth intermittent gear 61 which meshes with a two-toothintermittent gear 62 carried on a. vertical shaft 62. Shaft 63 ismounted in suitable bearings (it carried by top of base 50 and bearingscarried in a gear cover 65 bolted to top 60. Shaft 63 on its upper endcarries a crown pinion 66 which meshes with a crown gear 67 keyed to camshaft33.

Shaft 11 which carries the forming wheels 10 having fixed axes isaxially movable within its bearings and the axial positions of the eightforming wheels 10 may be simultaneously adjusted by means of adjustmentscrews 68 and 69 which respectively bear against the opposite ends ofshaft 11. The axial adjustment of forming wheels 10 with relation toforming wheels 13 to some extent has a bearing upon the diameter of thefinished products (spherical bodies) molded by the sets of formingwheels. The initial size of the drop,- gob or gather of plastic glasswill also determine to a large extent the size of the finished product.

The principle of the machine or apparatus is applicable to machines forgrinding spherical bodies from natural rock formations such as quartz.agate, etc. In such a grinding machine where a cutting material such assand is used in conjunction with the forming wheels for grinding, it,of'course, will be necessary to protect the bearings and other parts ofthe apparatus from the sand and dust formed during the grindingoperation.

It will be apparent that plastic clay or porcelain mixes may be used inthe machine as illustrated without modifying the same.

\Vhile I have described and illustrated but one embodiment of myinvention, it will be apparent to those. skilled in the art that variouschanges, additions, substitutions and omissions may be made in theapparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as set forth by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a machine for making spherical bodies, apair of rotating peripherally grooved co-operating forming wheels havingangularly disposed axes.

2. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheralspeed and having anguarly disposed axes.

3. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally groove co-operating forming wheels having angnlarlydisposed axes and means for directing material to forming positionbetween said wheels.

4.111 a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatinger-ipherally grooved co-opera-ting forming w ieels of differentperipheral speed having angularly' bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved, .co-operating forming wheels having angularlydisposed axes and means for discharging finished articles therefrom.

6. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved, co-operating forming wheels of differentperipheral speed having angularly disposed axes and means fordischarging finished articles therefrom.

7. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels having angularlydisposed axes and means for bodily moving one of said wheels away fromthe other to discharge articles therefrom.

' 8. In' a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheralspeed having angularly disposed axes and means for bodily moving one ofsaid wheels away from the other to discharge articles therefrom.

9. Ina machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheralspeed and having angularly disposed axes, means for directing ma terialto forming position between said wheels and means for dischargingfinished articles therefrom.

10. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotaryperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheralspeed and having angularly disposed axes, means for leading material toforming positions between said wheels and means for bodily moving one ofsaid wheels away from the other to discharge the article v therefrom.

11. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotaryperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheralspeed and having angularly disposed axes, means for leading material to,forming position between said wheels, a pi'votedmember supporting one ofsaid wheels and means for swinging said pivoted member to bodily movethe wheel supported by it away from the other wheel Gil pivoted membersupporting one of said wheels and a cam for swinging said member tobodily move the wheel supported by it away from the other wheel todischarge the article when finished.

'13. In a machine for makin spherical bodies, a pair of rotary peripheraly grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheral speed andhaving angularly disposed axes, means for leading, material to formingposition between said wheels, a bell crank lever supporting one of saidwheels, a cam for swinging said lever to bodily move the wheel supportedby it away from the other wheel to discharge the article when finished.

14. In a machine for makin spherical bodies, a pair of rotary peripheraly grooved co-operating forming wheels of difierentperipheral speed andhaving angularly disposed axes, fixed bearings for one of said wheels,movable bearings for the other wheel, means for periodically moving saidmovable bearings whereby the wheel supported thereby is bodily movedaway from the other wheel and means for leading material to formingposition between said wheels.

15. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a rotatably mountedperipherally grooved forming wheel having a fixed axis, anotherrotatably mounted peripherally grooved forming wheel adapted tocooperate therewith, having its axis disposed at an angle to the axis'of said other wheel and bodily shiftable with relation thereto, a bellcrank lever at one end carrying said shiftable wheel, a cam co-operatingwith.

the other end of said lever to eriodically swing the same whereby the weel carried by it is moved away from the other wheel and means forrotating said wheels at different peripheral speeds.

16. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of pairs ofrotating peripherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of which thewheels of each pair have different peripheral speeds and axes angularlyarranged one to the other and means for alternately distributingmaterial to forming position between the co-operating wheels.

17. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of pairs ofrotating peripherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of which thewheels of each pair have different peripheral speeds and axes angularlyarranged one to the other, means for alternately distributing materialto forming position between the co-operating wheels, and means fordischarging finished articles.

18. In a machine for makin spherical bodies, a number of axially aigned,peripherally grooved forming wheels, a corresponding number ofperipherally grooved forming wheels co-operating therewith and havingtheir axes angularly disposed with relation thereto, means forrotating'the axlally aligned wheels at a different peripheral speed thanthose having angularly disposed axes and means for alternately movingthe wheels having angularly disposed axes bodily toward and from theaxially aligned wheels.

19.111 a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of ipairs of 00-0erating peripherally grooved orming whee s one of each of which has afixed axis and the other a shiftable axis with the axes of each pairangularly disposed one to the other means for a lternately leadingmaterial to forming posltion between the co-operating wheels, means fordischarging finished articles and means for simultaneously shiftingaxially the wheels havin fixed axes.

20. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of pairs ofco-operating peripherally grooved forming wheels one of each of whichhas a fixed axis and the other a shiftable axis with the axes of eachpair angularly disposed one to the other, bell crank levers supportingthe wheels with shiftabl'e axes, a series of cams co-operating with saidlevers to alternately move the wheels having shiftable axes out offorming position, means for driving the wheels of each pair atdifl'erent peripheral speeds and means for alternately distributingmaterial to forming position between the co-operating wheels.

21. In -a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of axiallyaligned, peripherally grooved forming wheels, a corresponding number ofco-operating perip erally grooved forming wheels havin their axesangularly disposed with relation thereto, means for rotating the axiallyaligned wheels at a difi'erent peripheral speed than those havingangularly disposed axes, means for alternately moving the angularlydisposed wheels bodily toward and mm the axially aligned wheels, meansfor distributing material to said wheels and means for dischargingmaterial therefrom.

2 2. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingperipherally grooved co-operating forming wheels of different peripheralspeeds with the wheel of greater peripheral speed moving upwardly atforming position and means operating automatically and in synchronismwith said wheels for periodically separating the same for the purpose ofdischarging finished articles therefrom.

23. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a pair of rotatingeripherally grooved co-operating forming w eels of different peripheralspeeds with the wheel of greater peripheral speed moving upwardly atforming position and means operating automatically and in synchronismwith said series of cams co-operating with said levers wheels forperiodically bodily moving one to alternately move the wheels havingshiftof said wheels away from the other to disable axes out of forming.position, means for charge articles therefrom. driving the wheels ofeach pair at different 24. In a machine for making spherical peripheralspeeds and means for alternately bodies, a pair of rotating peripherallydistributing material to forming position grooved co-operating formingwheels of difbetween the co-operating wheels. ferent peripheral speedwith the wheel of 26}. In a machine for making spherical greaterperipheral speed moving upwardly bodles, a pair 0t grooved co-operatingformat forming position, means for leading ma- 111g wheels havlngsubstantlally horlzontal terial to forming position between said axes,means constructed and arranged to bodies, a number of pairs ofco-operating wheels, a pivoted member supporting one rotate said wheelsin opposite directions and of said wheels and means operating in synatdifierent peripheral speeds with the chronism with said wheels forperiodically wheel having the greater peripheral speed swinging saidpivoted member to bodily m'ovmg upwardly at io rnmg posltlon and movethe wheels supported thereby away means adapted to perlodlcallyincreasethe from the other wheel to discharge articles distance between the axesof said wheels for therefrom. the purpose of discharging finishedarticles 25. In a machine for making spherical theleflollfl;v I

In testimony wheffeojf, I have hereunto peripherally grooved formingwheels, one sllbscllbed my name 1 h day Of Deof each of which has afixed axis and the 081111161, 1924- other a shiftable axis, bell cranklevers supporting the wheels with shiftab-le axes, a HOWARD M. JENKINS.

